PanOpAnimal
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It’s a 8 month plan to study for the entrance exam for medical school but I already think I won’t make it. I’ve been out of school for 3 years and reaching 27 and I don’t know if I’m just wasting my time with those odds.
Evangeli
I can't speak for you OP, but I personally find it much easier to live with rejection, than regret.
HermeneuticalQuandary
I took it when I was 29. Army Veteran. Made it into a US MD program, now practicing. So many people give up too early. If you want it, try.
KingMCG
Give it a shot. If you fail the MCAT or pass the MCAT you will still be 27. If a door closes, open it again. That’s how doors work.
mangohuckleberry
Not quite. Unless you are an underrepresented minority, a failed MCAT is an automatic never-getting-in mark. But other opportunities exist
prawnklng
nevergoingtogiveyouupnevergoingtoletyoudown
badasschemist
8 months is quite a refresher course. Remember, this is stuff that you likely knew at some point. It comes back more quickly than learning.
PanOpAnimal
That’s true. The material isn’t new but starting with physics might’ve been soul crushing as I’m weakest at that subject
badasschemist
You're wise to work on your development areas first
boopityboopboop
Nowunithink
Just saying I gambled once with a 75% chance of success other guy won with 25%. It can happen
PanOpAnimal
I see what you mean. Could you imagine If after a certain GPA and MCAT score, it was a coin toss. That would be wild
Einstein9073
You can do it, I believe in you, go do the thing!
hyperchondriac
So sayeth the tiny potato.
grrayghost
Ilikestealingdadjokes
You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.
outtaleftfield
-Wayne Gretzky- -Michael Scott-
thegregorious
-outtaleftfield-
iwantthepinkbook
Your fear of failure is affecting your mental pattern, which could manifest that failure into reality. Try to reroute your mind from this.
ViolentFlogging
I'm 35 and starting my first term, second semester, first year of a 4 year BA in Psychology, 7-8 year MA/MS plan. WE CAN DO THIS!
SeymourButse
Out of school 7 years and reaching 32. Finished my first graduate class an hour and a half ago. Do shit.
ZK383
Dig in. Stay at it. If you don't try, you don't succeed. Remember a whole lot of people suffer from that lack of self-confidence, & succeed.
ZK383
Part two: If you fail, go at it again. If you want to do it, & think you have the capability, go at it again with the wisdom learned.
BigBallOfWibblyWobblyTimeyWimeyStuff
Always a way. mcat 5 times, 2 yrs of applying to US med...now a US Caribbean grad…IM residency on 1st try w/fellowship. I’m 30. U got this.
panamjck
I am 50 years old without a scientific degree and I recently decided to get a PhD in Astrophysics. If you follow through so will I.
PeterGregory
Not it wouldnt be impressive either way, But are you a lil bit cheating that sentence and have a math or eng degree instead?
panamjck
I have an information systems degree - woefully short on math
PeterGregory
Well double congrats then
PanOpAnimal
Wow, astrophysics is no joke so all the best to you. I’ll follow through :) just gotta push through the obstacles
drunkpeoplecallmehoneycombs
I’m graduating med school this year - I’m 30 and my time out of school and working really helped me keep perspective when school was rough
drunkpeoplecallmehoneycombs
You can absolutely do this!
PanOpAnimal
Thanks! I’ve been working on preparing for medical school for years. I’d be foolish to not allow myself to suffer for 8 more months :)
drunkpeoplecallmehoneycombs
Studying for the MCAT is rough but not impossible. Crushing practice questions and understanding why I missed things helped me!
noReallyIamPrincessBob
Are you kidding me? You’re only 27! Everything to gain, nothing to lose. NO could have, should have. No regrets. Go for it!
DeepFriedAndSanctified
Screw that. I went back to graduate school when I was 30. I gave my alumni advisor my test scores and my GPA and he told me I wouldn't /1
DeepFriedAndSanctified
/2 get into a decent school. Got into several.
Zega000
Never tell me the odds!
Subsound
It's tough because people's lives are at stake. It takes a lot of time and effort, but be sure you'll be going into a specialty you love.
ImTheRealDirtyDan
If it’s what you want, you have to try
coronakilla
Hey!! DM me. We should talk, I can help you navigate through all this! -Drew
PanOpAnimal
I’ll definitely reach out. Thanks for the support :)
mangohuckleberry
Also DO schools are an option if you bomb the MCAT but have a decent GPA (>3.5). Aim for >3.7 for MD. No hard rules tho, apply to both.
MyNameIsJesusAndIStealHubcapsFromCars
@op my mom went in at 40. she's an rn now. you fuckin' got this.
Pining4TheFjords
Use the buddy system and find a study partner, even if it's over zoom. A doctor would talk to colleagues when struggling, so why not you?
PanOpAnimal
I’m sad to say this but I don’t have friends that can provide that kind of support. It’s me, myself and I for the time being
thegregorious
I did better on the MCAT studying alone than my friends who studied together did ?♂️ just gotta stay diligent
thegregorious
Studied for &took MCAT, got into med school and then decided to go to graduate school for chemistry instead lol. Who knows what life holds
haitamimama
Million to one shots happen nine times out of ten
OmenJones
That's... not exactly what that number means. The failure rate doesn't represent your individual odds of success.
barnwolf
Ya, their individual odds of success is 0%. Those 30% are the kids who have spent 3 years giving out malaria shots in the congo or something
sambaah05
MCAT isn't really pass/fail. Believe they are referring to med school acceptance rates.
Ambipolar
..but not understanding that does not bode well for the odds of success.
OmenJones
Eh. Sometimes it's hard to see when the odds are personal.
applesforjuice
But if op doesn't understand that... which part do you think they're in?
OmenJones
They're not drawing a lottery.
Arcygenical
I took it to mean OP's personal chance of success, though. Based on their personal entrance Criteria. I remember making that calculation.
PanOpAnimal
Yup. It’s a rough estimate and depending on the school, the odds are still stacked against my stats
SarahDancePainter
Then start power levelling.
Jthechef
You can also look at foreign med schools, just check accreditation and residency acceptance
Arcygenical
Let's be real, you'll be pissed at yourself if you don't - at least - TRY. (and my undergrad was way worse than the updated MCAT)
PanOpAnimal
I’ll at least give it a go. I think everything else in my life is making things complicated.
Arcygenical
Tbh, life has a way of making anything complicated. I realized I wasn't willing to give up all the personal relationships I'd need to, to
p3culiar15
Give it ago. You are only 27. When I graduated my undergrad I was 31 & took me almost 10 years to finish engineering. So anything can happen
imakesoap
You’ve got 100% chance of rejection if you don’t study. It’s ok to forgive yourself if you fail, but hard to forgive yourself if you 1/2
beAbetterperson7
If i said you had a 30% chance of having cancer, you’d probably be convinced you’d get it. Well, replace cancer with med school and get it
fnoigy
King
TwiceK
"how bad is it?" "Stage 4 Med School." "Oh no! He'll die a doctor!"
jdcream
DuckHuntPro
That is actually very uplifting.... Minus the geting cancer part!
vicvalour
Then you can treat your cancer!
NuclearMonk
and by it, I hope @beAbetterperson7 means med school and not cancer.
PanOpAnimal
Actually odds of getting cancer for a woman in the US is more than 30% so I guess I’m more likely to get cancer than get into medical school
SpaceSpeed
https://imgur.com/aZarUs8
xXxSTEVOxXx
Sounds like youre gonna need the kind of healthcare that comes from being in the business...?
beAbetterperson7
Quick with stats, you sound like a dr. See that, youre well on your way.
HenryLongfellowIII
Your chances of both getting into med school and getting cancer should be less than 10% (assuming no correlation) so best try to get in.
counterintel
KingXizor
If cancer odds buoy your spirits I'm a 28 yo male that was just diagnosed with Thyroid Cancer. You got these MCATs in the bag!
PanOpAnimal
Sorry to hear that! Screw cancer.
KingXizor
Hopefully I'll just need a little knife work, still need a second opinion and surgical consults.
jdcream
BurlRavenscroft
You know full well that wasn’t the point
GoldFrieza
Go for it. You gotta try if you have a chance
Princeoftards
That's the spirit!
hamper10
Yeah!
OmnesMundiLardum
olddocbanks
Hi OP. I took the MCAT four times before scoring decently and then applied to med school three consecutive years before acceptance.
Geoglady
Yep! I know someone who took multiple tries as well and is now a respected doctor.
olddocbanks
27 when starting med school and six years to finish. It can be done but may take everything you have and then a little more. Your choice.
PanOpAnimal
It’s nice to know persistence helps. Thanks for sharing :)
MistyFrazier
Kinda different but I was in a similar boat with veterinary school and I’m in Year 2! Just gotta keep fighting your way through.
lookinginallthewrongplaces
33 when accepted and didn’t have great grades or MCAT score.
jewishdoctorassassin
Hey I failed the crap out of the MCAT multiple times. I'm in my second year of med school. You should dm me.
possumattack
And what, get assassinated? Psh
jewishdoctorassassin
Lololol. Something like that.
Monkeyfighter
Perfect GPA? Cause I feel like it's my MCAT that's holding me back...
jewishdoctorassassin
Everybody's got something
snarklfluff
My husband used Kaplan and did his revision in 8 months OP! You can do this!
PanOpAnimal
Yup that’s what I’m using :) and Thanks
mangohuckleberry
If you are not using UWorld too, you are hurting your chances, just as an fyi.
snarklfluff
Awesome!!! I wish you the absolute best of luck! You’ve got this!